'-|-'- "Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year… Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail… Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel.” - Nelson Doubleday- "In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules." - Bernard Madoff, 10/20/07The Washington Post decided not to cover Ralph Nader's presidential campaign because he had no chance of winning. Nader's response: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?"- Asked by the Post about the younger Wilpon's job performance, Fred Wilpon said: "Excellent. Everybody knows ...that."- "The word 'autonomy' is sometimes misused." - Jeff Wilpon- "Let’s give Jeff Wilpon the benefit of the doubt here for a moment. Let’s say he is not short-tempered. Tone deaf. A credit seeker. An accountability deflector. A micro-manager. A second-guesser. A less-than-deep thinker. And bad at self-awareness. Fine, he’s none of these things. But here is the problem: This is his perception in the industry." - Joel Sherman- “Jeff is the problem with the organization, and he is never going to realize that. He cannot help himself. He has to be involved. He will never hire anyone who will not let him have major input. He will not hire anyone who does not run every personnel decision through him.” - Anonymous NL Executive- "The only person with a worse reputation than Jeff Wilpon in the game is David Samson." - Anonymous AL executive- "[Mets GM Omar Minaya] isn’t the General Manager. Jeff Wilpon is. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” - Peter Gammons- [Jeff Wilpon's] role in management, according to one official who worked for him, "is to act as president and CEO of second-guessing."- "I always want Mets fans on my juries," said one noted defense attorney friend, a rabid Yankees fan. "They love losers, even three-time losers like some of my clients. And if Mets fans believe anything the Mets front office says, I can convince them to acquit anybody." - Denis Hamill- I got a call the other day. They noted I had been a long term season ticket holder and asked if I was interested. I immediately exclaimed "I'm so sorry for the Wilpon Family". He asked what I meant. I told the guy if he looked in my file, he'd see a note to call me after both Fred and Jeff dropped dead, and not a day before. - Meanballer

This guy caused as much pain to Met fans as just about anyone in baseball history. Are they going to show all his Met-killing highlights on the board when they honor him? Let Brian Jordan throw out the first pitch?

Is there going to be a speech?"Today, I consider myself ... the biggest Met killer on the face of the earth"

This is akin to the Yankees holding David Ortiz appreciation day at the Stadium while showing highlights of the 2004 ALCS, or the Red Sox having Derek Jeter day at Fenway. Wake me up when those happen.

--------------------

'-|-'- "Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year… Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail… Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel.” - Nelson Doubleday- "In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules." - Bernard Madoff, 10/20/07The Washington Post decided not to cover Ralph Nader's presidential campaign because he had no chance of winning. Nader's response: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?"- Asked by the Post about the younger Wilpon's job performance, Fred Wilpon said: "Excellent. Everybody knows ...that."- "The word 'autonomy' is sometimes misused." - Jeff Wilpon- "Let’s give Jeff Wilpon the benefit of the doubt here for a moment. Let’s say he is not short-tempered. Tone deaf. A credit seeker. An accountability deflector. A micro-manager. A second-guesser. A less-than-deep thinker. And bad at self-awareness. Fine, he’s none of these things. But here is the problem: This is his perception in the industry." - Joel Sherman- “Jeff is the problem with the organization, and he is never going to realize that. He cannot help himself. He has to be involved. He will never hire anyone who will not let him have major input. He will not hire anyone who does not run every personnel decision through him.” - Anonymous NL Executive- "The only person with a worse reputation than Jeff Wilpon in the game is David Samson." - Anonymous AL executive- "[Mets GM Omar Minaya] isn’t the General Manager. Jeff Wilpon is. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” - Peter Gammons- [Jeff Wilpon's] role in management, according to one official who worked for him, "is to act as president and CEO of second-guessing."- "I always want Mets fans on my juries," said one noted defense attorney friend, a rabid Yankees fan. "They love losers, even three-time losers like some of my clients. And if Mets fans believe anything the Mets front office says, I can convince them to acquit anybody." - Denis Hamill- I got a call the other day. They noted I had been a long term season ticket holder and asked if I was interested. I immediately exclaimed "I'm so sorry for the Wilpon Family". He asked what I meant. I told the guy if he looked in my file, he'd see a note to call me after both Fred and Jeff dropped dead, and not a day before. - Meanballer

Let me be clear. I hate the Braves, flat out hate them. Almost as much as I hate the Wilpon's. Almost as much as I hate Glavine. ( a bigger Met killer than Larry...in their uniform and in ours...like a spy or assasin).

That said; for some reason not even completely clear to me, I do not mind them honoring Chipper Jones. First, he is a Hall of Famer. Second, I feel in his own way he likes NY and the Mets...he makes supportive comments about our players, most recently about David Wright...named his kid after Shea for goodness sake....Third, he had fun with the rivalry...the chants of LAAAARRRYY.... that was cool. Finally, he reminds me of a time where there was a rivalry because the Mets were relevant...So in this one case, I am ok with it.

You can blast away, and I fully understand...I acknowledge it is strange...but it is what it is.....

Let me be clear. I hate the Braves, flat out hate them. Almost as much as I hate the Wilpon's. Almost as much as I hate Glavine. ( a bigger Met killer than Larry...in their uniform and in ours...like a spy or assasin).

That said; for some reason not even completely clear to me, I do not mind them honoring Chipper Jones. First, he is a Hall of Famer. Second, I feel in his own way he likes NY and the Mets...he makes supportive comments about our players, most recently about David Wright...named his kid after Shea for goodness sake....Third, he had fun with the rivalry...the chants of LAAAARRRYY.... that was cool. Finally, he reminds me of a time where there was a rivalry because the Mets were relevant...So in this one case, I am ok with it.

You can blast away, and I fully understand...I acknowledge it is strange...but it is what it is.....

i'm sure chipper jones had fun with it, when the mets never once beat the braves with those late 90's early 2000 teams. celebrating that would be about the last thing i'd ever want to do.

--------------------

'-|-'- "Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year… Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail… Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel.” - Nelson Doubleday- "In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules." - Bernard Madoff, 10/20/07The Washington Post decided not to cover Ralph Nader's presidential campaign because he had no chance of winning. Nader's response: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?"- Asked by the Post about the younger Wilpon's job performance, Fred Wilpon said: "Excellent. Everybody knows ...that."- "The word 'autonomy' is sometimes misused." - Jeff Wilpon- "Let’s give Jeff Wilpon the benefit of the doubt here for a moment. Let’s say he is not short-tempered. Tone deaf. A credit seeker. An accountability deflector. A micro-manager. A second-guesser. A less-than-deep thinker. And bad at self-awareness. Fine, he’s none of these things. But here is the problem: This is his perception in the industry." - Joel Sherman- “Jeff is the problem with the organization, and he is never going to realize that. He cannot help himself. He has to be involved. He will never hire anyone who will not let him have major input. He will not hire anyone who does not run every personnel decision through him.” - Anonymous NL Executive- "The only person with a worse reputation than Jeff Wilpon in the game is David Samson." - Anonymous AL executive- "[Mets GM Omar Minaya] isn’t the General Manager. Jeff Wilpon is. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” - Peter Gammons- [Jeff Wilpon's] role in management, according to one official who worked for him, "is to act as president and CEO of second-guessing."- "I always want Mets fans on my juries," said one noted defense attorney friend, a rabid Yankees fan. "They love losers, even three-time losers like some of my clients. And if Mets fans believe anything the Mets front office says, I can convince them to acquit anybody." - Denis Hamill- I got a call the other day. They noted I had been a long term season ticket holder and asked if I was interested. I immediately exclaimed "I'm so sorry for the Wilpon Family". He asked what I meant. I told the guy if he looked in my file, he'd see a note to call me after both Fred and Jeff dropped dead, and not a day before. - Meanballer

i'm sure chipper jones had fun with it, when the mets never once beat the braves with those late 90's early 2000 teams. celebrating that would be about the last thing i'd ever want to do.

I totally get that....usually I would be on the same page...just for some strange reason not this time. I guess I respect or at least appreciate him as a player more than I thought. Which is weird since I despise the Braves. I am not sure I would "celebrate" but "acknowledge." A small gift, brief ceremony and a huge chant of LAAAARRRRYYYYY, would suffice. Sort of 'honored enemy" status.

A brief look at how teams have honored Cal Ripken since he announced his retirement.SunSpot StaffChicago White Sox, June 29 - July 1At a ceremony including former teammate Harold Baines, former Oriole GM Roland Hemond and a video tribute, Ripken was presented with a seat from old Comiskey Park and a vial of dirt from shortstop at old Comiskey.All-Star Game, July 10Commissioner Bud Selig presented Ripken and Tony Gwynn with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award during a mid-game ceremony. Ripken also won the game's MVP award after hitting a home run.

Atlanta Braves, July 12-14The Braves gave Ripken a $10,000 donation to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Former teammate B.J. Surhoff and Chipper Jones, on behalf of the team, presented him with a plaque commemorating his six hits at Turner Field in July 1999.

Florida Marlins, July 15-17The ceremony included former Orioles manager Earl Weaver and future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson. The Marlins presented Ripken with framed pictures of the 1979 Miami Orioles (Cal's minor league team) and the 1967 Miami Marlins (managed by Cal Ripken Sr.) as well as a $5,000 contribution to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.

Texas Rangers, July 24-26The Rangers "retired" Ripken's locker in the visitor's clubhouse. Former Orioles and Rangers manager Johnny Oates and former Orioles assistant GM and current Texas GM Doug Melvin participated in the ceremony to unveil a plaque above the locker. Ex-teammate Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan and Alex Rodriguez and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan joined an on-field presentation to give Ripken cowboy boots, a signed Ripken Rangers jersey and a $15,000 donation to his youth baseball project.

Anaheim, July 27-29The Angels presented Ripken a $10,000 check to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, two framed sets of commemorative tickets used for the series and a crystal trophy. Ripken also met 11-year-old Drew Nilson during batting practice. Nilson has undergone four heart operations. Ripken left the family tickets and signed several pieces of memorabilia for his young fan. Ripken and his family were part of a parade in Disneyland as well.

Kansas City Royals, Aug. 6-9The Royals showed a video tribute for Ripken, then presented him with a $15,000 donation to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and a piece of original artwork.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Aug. 21-23Ripken threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the final game in the 3-game series at Tropicana Field. The Devil Rays honored Ripken with a video tribute and a painting. The team also donated $5,000 to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Basketball announcer and Devil Rays season ticket holder Dick Vitale presented Ripken with a year's supply of Florida stone crabs.

Oakland A's, Sept. 3-5The A's honored Ripken all three nights of the series. Monday they distributed replicas of Ripken's rookie card and installed commemorative bases and on-deck circles. Tuesday they gave out a replica card honoring Ripken's consecutive-games streak. Before Wednesday's game was Cal Ripken Jr. Day, where the A's and city of Oakland dedicated an inner-city baseball field in Ripken's name. He was also given a gift from Silver Oak Winery in Napa, Calif.

Seattle Mariners, Sept. 7-9Mariners manager Lou Piniella presented Ripken with a white Seattle jersey with his No. 8 signed by the Mariners players. Each Seattle player shook his hand, and the fans gave him a long standing ovation. A plaque in his honor was hung in the visitor's bullpen near where his July 10 home run landed. Ripken was joined by wife Kelly and children Rachel and Ryan.

Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 18-20The Blue Jays presented Ripken with a $5,000 check to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation as well as tributes from manager Buck Martinez, chairman Paul Godfrey and general manager Gord Ash. They also gave him a painting of him and Lou Gehrig, and a Blue Jays No. 8 Ripken jersey.

Boston Red Sox, Sept. 24-27In a ceremony with general manager Dan Duquette, Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk and former Red Sox and Oriole Dwight Evans, Ripken was given a dark green No. 8 Fenway Park box seat, an original oil painting of Fenway Park and a check for $20,000 for the Cal Ripken division of Babe Ruth baseball.

New York Yankees, Sept. 28-30The pregame tribute, just off the dirt behind home plate, included Yankee manager Joe Torre giving Ripkens wife, Kelly, a dozen long-stemmed pink roses, and former Yankees All-Star Don Mattingly presenting Ripken with a pin commemorating his last game in the city. Ripken also was given an enlarged and framed copy of the commemorative ticket each fan was given at the stadium. Reading Farewell Cal Ripken, the tickets have black-and-white pictures of Ripken and Lou Gehrig.

Ive always thought there was a spot in our hearts for the rilvaries and utter disdain of teams and players that our favorite teams compete against, and at the same time there was a different spot in our hearts for THE GAME and the reality that these players contribute so much to our passion and every day lives as baseball fans....a spot in our hearts that understands its all just a game of hitting a ball with a stick and at the end of the day, Chipper Jones is a great player and ambassador for the sport of baseball and he's highly respected around the league by everyone including METS PLAYERS. David Wright and Jason Bay have nothing but the upmost respect for Jones, because he's a good guy and all he does is go out there and does his job the best he can. In the off season, a lot of players from different teams are friends, Im sure you know that. On the field is one thing, but off the field is something else. Jones isnt a prick like Barry Bonds, Tony Larussa or Ryan Braum. He's respected...he's an honorable guy and has been a role model. Youd have a hard time finding another baseball player that would have anything negative to say about the man. So...you should access the part of your heart that understands this is all just a game and chipper jones is a player who is worthy of a nice final send off as he retires even at Shae. Its about Jones the player and man as a whole, not just about the fact that he played well against your favorite team.

Well said WJE. Not sure players are role models, and leaving your wife for a Hooters girl was a questionable moral decision by Chipper. And think Braun is an upstanding player who had his confidentiality breached and no one should have been alerted to that situation, which resolved in his favor anyways.

A brief look at how teams have honored Cal Ripken since he announced his retirement.SunSpot StaffChicago White Sox, June 29 - July 1At a ceremony including former teammate Harold Baines, former Oriole GM Roland Hemond and a video tribute, Ripken was presented with a seat from old Comiskey Park and a vial of dirt from shortstop at old Comiskey.All-Star Game, July 10Commissioner Bud Selig presented Ripken and Tony Gwynn with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award during a mid-game ceremony. Ripken also won the game's MVP award after hitting a home run.

Atlanta Braves, July 12-14The Braves gave Ripken a $10,000 donation to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Former teammate B.J. Surhoff and Chipper Jones, on behalf of the team, presented him with a plaque commemorating his six hits at Turner Field in July 1999.

Florida Marlins, July 15-17The ceremony included former Orioles manager Earl Weaver and future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson. The Marlins presented Ripken with framed pictures of the 1979 Miami Orioles (Cal's minor league team) and the 1967 Miami Marlins (managed by Cal Ripken Sr.) as well as a $5,000 contribution to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.

Texas Rangers, July 24-26The Rangers "retired" Ripken's locker in the visitor's clubhouse. Former Orioles and Rangers manager Johnny Oates and former Orioles assistant GM and current Texas GM Doug Melvin participated in the ceremony to unveil a plaque above the locker. Ex-teammate Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan and Alex Rodriguez and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan joined an on-field presentation to give Ripken cowboy boots, a signed Ripken Rangers jersey and a $15,000 donation to his youth baseball project.

Anaheim, July 27-29The Angels presented Ripken a $10,000 check to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, two framed sets of commemorative tickets used for the series and a crystal trophy. Ripken also met 11-year-old Drew Nilson during batting practice. Nilson has undergone four heart operations. Ripken left the family tickets and signed several pieces of memorabilia for his young fan. Ripken and his family were part of a parade in Disneyland as well.

Kansas City Royals, Aug. 6-9The Royals showed a video tribute for Ripken, then presented him with a $15,000 donation to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and a piece of original artwork.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Aug. 21-23Ripken threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the final game in the 3-game series at Tropicana Field. The Devil Rays honored Ripken with a video tribute and a painting. The team also donated $5,000 to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. Basketball announcer and Devil Rays season ticket holder Dick Vitale presented Ripken with a year's supply of Florida stone crabs.

Oakland A's, Sept. 3-5The A's honored Ripken all three nights of the series. Monday they distributed replicas of Ripken's rookie card and installed commemorative bases and on-deck circles. Tuesday they gave out a replica card honoring Ripken's consecutive-games streak. Before Wednesday's game was Cal Ripken Jr. Day, where the A's and city of Oakland dedicated an inner-city baseball field in Ripken's name. He was also given a gift from Silver Oak Winery in Napa, Calif.

Seattle Mariners, Sept. 7-9Mariners manager Lou Piniella presented Ripken with a white Seattle jersey with his No. 8 signed by the Mariners players. Each Seattle player shook his hand, and the fans gave him a long standing ovation. A plaque in his honor was hung in the visitor's bullpen near where his July 10 home run landed. Ripken was joined by wife Kelly and children Rachel and Ryan.

Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 18-20The Blue Jays presented Ripken with a $5,000 check to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation as well as tributes from manager Buck Martinez, chairman Paul Godfrey and general manager Gord Ash. They also gave him a painting of him and Lou Gehrig, and a Blue Jays No. 8 Ripken jersey.

Boston Red Sox, Sept. 24-27In a ceremony with general manager Dan Duquette, Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk and former Red Sox and Oriole Dwight Evans, Ripken was given a dark green No. 8 Fenway Park box seat, an original oil painting of Fenway Park and a check for $20,000 for the Cal Ripken division of Babe Ruth baseball.

New York Yankees, Sept. 28-30The pregame tribute, just off the dirt behind home plate, included Yankee manager Joe Torre giving Ripken’s wife, Kelly, a dozen long-stemmed pink roses, and former Yankees All-Star Don Mattingly presenting Ripken with a pin commemorating his last game in the city. Ripken also was given an enlarged and framed copy of the commemorative ticket each fan was given at the stadium. Reading “Farewell Cal Ripken,” the tickets have black-and-white pictures of Ripken and Lou Gehrig.

cal ripken was honored for breaking an all time record that was considered unbreakable. the mets are honoring chipper jones for beating them!

--------------------

'-|-'- "Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year… Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail… Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel.” - Nelson Doubleday- "In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules." - Bernard Madoff, 10/20/07The Washington Post decided not to cover Ralph Nader's presidential campaign because he had no chance of winning. Nader's response: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?"- Asked by the Post about the younger Wilpon's job performance, Fred Wilpon said: "Excellent. Everybody knows ...that."- "The word 'autonomy' is sometimes misused." - Jeff Wilpon- "Let’s give Jeff Wilpon the benefit of the doubt here for a moment. Let’s say he is not short-tempered. Tone deaf. A credit seeker. An accountability deflector. A micro-manager. A second-guesser. A less-than-deep thinker. And bad at self-awareness. Fine, he’s none of these things. But here is the problem: This is his perception in the industry." - Joel Sherman- “Jeff is the problem with the organization, and he is never going to realize that. He cannot help himself. He has to be involved. He will never hire anyone who will not let him have major input. He will not hire anyone who does not run every personnel decision through him.” - Anonymous NL Executive- "The only person with a worse reputation than Jeff Wilpon in the game is David Samson." - Anonymous AL executive- "[Mets GM Omar Minaya] isn’t the General Manager. Jeff Wilpon is. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” - Peter Gammons- [Jeff Wilpon's] role in management, according to one official who worked for him, "is to act as president and CEO of second-guessing."- "I always want Mets fans on my juries," said one noted defense attorney friend, a rabid Yankees fan. "They love losers, even three-time losers like some of my clients. And if Mets fans believe anything the Mets front office says, I can convince them to acquit anybody." - Denis Hamill- I got a call the other day. They noted I had been a long term season ticket holder and asked if I was interested. I immediately exclaimed "I'm so sorry for the Wilpon Family". He asked what I meant. I told the guy if he looked in my file, he'd see a note to call me after both Fred and Jeff dropped dead, and not a day before. - Meanballer

Ive always thought there was a spot in our hearts for the rilvaries and utter disdain of teams and players that our favorite teams compete against, and at the same time there was a different spot in our hearts for THE GAME and the reality that these players contribute so much to our passion and every day lives as baseball fans....a spot in our hearts that understands its all just a game of hitting a ball with a stick and at the end of the day, Chipper Jones is a great player and ambassador for the sport of baseball and he's highly respected around the league by everyone including METS PLAYERS. David Wright and Jason Bay have nothing but the upmost respect for Jones, because he's a good guy and all he does is go out there and does his job the best he can. In the off season, a lot of players from different teams are friends, Im sure you know that. On the field is one thing, but off the field is something else. Jones isnt a prick like Barry Bonds, Tony Larussa or Ryan Braum. He's respected...he's an honorable guy and has been a role model. Youd have a hard time finding another baseball player that would have anything negative to say about the man. So...you should access the part of your heart that understands this is all just a game and chipper jones is a player who is worthy of a nice final send off as he retires even at Shae. Its about Jones the player and man as a whole, not just about the fact that he played well against your favorite team.

they're not honoring chipper jones for being a good guy (and we seem to forget how he insulted met fans and told them to put their yankee hats on after the mets were eliminated), they're honoring him for beating them. if you as a fan wanted to give him a standing ovation at his last game because you respect him as a player, that should be your choice. the mets should not be forcing you to sit through a ceremony for a met killer, while celebrating him for how he killed the mets over the years.

btw, where was craig biggio day at shea? a local guy, who had already announced his retirement, a hall-of-fame caliber player, considered a great guy, players respected him, but there was no craig biggio day on his last trip to shea in september 2007, was there? prior to his last at bat the PA announcer called him a great local product and the fans who wanted to stand up and cheer did. the end.

--------------------

'-|-'- "Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year… Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail… Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel.” - Nelson Doubleday- "In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules." - Bernard Madoff, 10/20/07The Washington Post decided not to cover Ralph Nader's presidential campaign because he had no chance of winning. Nader's response: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?"- Asked by the Post about the younger Wilpon's job performance, Fred Wilpon said: "Excellent. Everybody knows ...that."- "The word 'autonomy' is sometimes misused." - Jeff Wilpon- "Let’s give Jeff Wilpon the benefit of the doubt here for a moment. Let’s say he is not short-tempered. Tone deaf. A credit seeker. An accountability deflector. A micro-manager. A second-guesser. A less-than-deep thinker. And bad at self-awareness. Fine, he’s none of these things. But here is the problem: This is his perception in the industry." - Joel Sherman- “Jeff is the problem with the organization, and he is never going to realize that. He cannot help himself. He has to be involved. He will never hire anyone who will not let him have major input. He will not hire anyone who does not run every personnel decision through him.” - Anonymous NL Executive- "The only person with a worse reputation than Jeff Wilpon in the game is David Samson." - Anonymous AL executive- "[Mets GM Omar Minaya] isn’t the General Manager. Jeff Wilpon is. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” - Peter Gammons- [Jeff Wilpon's] role in management, according to one official who worked for him, "is to act as president and CEO of second-guessing."- "I always want Mets fans on my juries," said one noted defense attorney friend, a rabid Yankees fan. "They love losers, even three-time losers like some of my clients. And if Mets fans believe anything the Mets front office says, I can convince them to acquit anybody." - Denis Hamill- I got a call the other day. They noted I had been a long term season ticket holder and asked if I was interested. I immediately exclaimed "I'm so sorry for the Wilpon Family". He asked what I meant. I told the guy if he looked in my file, he'd see a note to call me after both Fred and Jeff dropped dead, and not a day before. - Meanballer

1st thing: The Mets as an organization should not honor Chipper. Let the fans give the man his applause and leave it at that. However I have no real issue if they do want to honor him. I just don't see why they would.

2nd - Brauns confidentiality was not breached, lol. He failed a drug test. All failed drug test in the MLB today are announced. He got off on a technicality. Even the MLB did not support the overturning of that. He's a cheater plain and simple.

--------------------

People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.

1st thing: The Mets as an organization should not honor Chipper. Let the fans give the man his applause and leave it at that. However I have no real issue if they do want to honor him. I just don't see why they would.

2nd - Brauns confidentiality was not breached, lol. He failed a drug test. All failed drug test in the MLB today are announced. He got off on a technicality. Even the MLB did not support the overturning of that. He's a cheater plain and simple.

You do have the right to your own opinion, not your own facts. So sure you are right, but yet ...

Braun tested positive in October for elevated testosterone, and ESPN's "Outside The Lines" revealed the positive test in December. Representatives of the Milwaukee outfielder argued during a grievance hearing that specified procedures for handling the sample were not followed, and arbitrator Shyam Das last month overturned the 50-game suspension Braun faced.

Braun"Everybody associated with the case is extremely disappointed that it leaked out," union head Michael Weiner said Sunday at the Milwaukee Brewers' training camp. "The leak was specific to this case. It does not threaten the confidentiality of the program. As I have said to players who have asked about that, confidentiality is important as any aspect of this program. The program has a bunch of different goals, but confidentiality is critical. If we felt that there was any systemwide problem with respect to confidentiality, we really would have a problem. And, that's not the case."

A day after Das issued his decision on Feb. 23, Major League Baseball executive vice president Rob Manfred said "we are convinced that the leak did not come from the commissioner's office" and Weiner said "we are confident that it was not caused by the commissioner's office, the MLBPA or anyone associated in any way with the program."

Asked whether his side was considering any action against the person who leaked it, Weiner responded, "The union is not."

"I guess I can't speak for Ryan on that point," he said. "That'll be their decision. My sense is what's done is done."

The 12 previous players to challenge suspensions in grievances all failed to overturn the penalties. Under baseball's drug programs, the arbitrator decides grievances stemming from a first positive test before the test result is made public.

"The idea that there is confidentiality to the appeals process is critical," Weiner said. "If we felt there was a real threat to that here, we'd have a big problem."

Braun's side argued during the hearing that the drug collector, Dino Laurenzi Jr., did not follow the procedures specified in baseball's drug agreement, which states the urine sample should be taken to a Federal Express office on the day it is collected "absent unusual circumstances."

Laurenzi collected the sample on a Saturday and did not leave it at a FedEx office until Monday. Laurenzi issued a statement last week defending his actions, saying he did not tamper with the samples. He said his instructions were to safeguard the sample at home until a time FedEx could ship it. He also said it was his "understanding that the samples were received at the laboratory with all tamper-resistant seals intact."

Das has 30 days from his decision to give the sides his written opinion. Weiner said the parties have not addressed whether to make the decision public, adding "I think the interests of the program are served by keeping the confidentiality in place."

Braun struck out in his only two at-bats in the Brewers' 1-all tie with a split squad of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, his first game of spring training. Although Milwaukee was the home team, about half the crowd of 6,619 cheered for the Giants and they countered the Brewers' fans standing ovation with catcalls when Braun went to the plate in the first inning and serenaded Braun with chants of "Ur-ine Sam-ple!" before Braun struck out swinging against Madison Bumgarner. His second time up, Braun was greeted with chants of "Cheater!" before looking at strike three.

Braun said he was glad the games are finally here.

"Yeah, it was great. I think for all of us as a team, you look forward to games starting. It's a little more adrenaline, little more excitement and enthusiasm. So, it was fun," he said.

Following Das' decision, Braun said he was a "victim" of a "fatally flawed" testing system and "the truth is on my side."

"Ryan said from his heart what needed to be said," Weiner said.

Weiner said the sides already have discussed changes to the drug program in the wake of Das' decision.

Braun tested positive in October for elevated testosterone, and ESPN's "Outside The Lines" revealed the positive test in December. Representatives of the Milwaukee outfielder argued during a grievance hearing that specified procedures for handling the sample were not followed, and arbitrator Shyam Das last month overturned the 50-game suspension Braun faced.

Braun"Everybody associated with the case is extremely disappointed that it leaked out," union head Michael Weiner said Sunday at the Milwaukee Brewers' training camp. "The leak was specific to this case. It does not threaten the confidentiality of the program. As I have said to players who have asked about that, confidentiality is important as any aspect of this program. The program has a bunch of different goals, but confidentiality is critical. If we felt that there was any systemwide problem with respect to confidentiality, we really would have a problem. And, that's not the case."

A day after Das issued his decision on Feb. 23, Major League Baseball executive vice president Rob Manfred said "we are convinced that the leak did not come from the commissioner's office" and Weiner said "we are confident that it was not caused by the commissioner's office, the MLBPA or anyone associated in any way with the program."

Asked whether his side was considering any action against the person who leaked it, Weiner responded, "The union is not."

"I guess I can't speak for Ryan on that point," he said. "That'll be their decision. My sense is what's done is done."

The 12 previous players to challenge suspensions in grievances all failed to overturn the penalties. Under baseball's drug programs, the arbitrator decides grievances stemming from a first positive test before the test result is made public.

"The idea that there is confidentiality to the appeals process is critical," Weiner said. "If we felt there was a real threat to that here, we'd have a big problem."

Braun's side argued during the hearing that the drug collector, Dino Laurenzi Jr., did not follow the procedures specified in baseball's drug agreement, which states the urine sample should be taken to a Federal Express office on the day it is collected "absent unusual circumstances."

Laurenzi collected the sample on a Saturday and did not leave it at a FedEx office until Monday. Laurenzi issued a statement last week defending his actions, saying he did not tamper with the samples. He said his instructions were to safeguard the sample at home until a time FedEx could ship it. He also said it was his "understanding that the samples were received at the laboratory with all tamper-resistant seals intact."

Das has 30 days from his decision to give the sides his written opinion. Weiner said the parties have not addressed whether to make the decision public, adding "I think the interests of the program are served by keeping the confidentiality in place."

Braun struck out in his only two at-bats in the Brewers' 1-all tie with a split squad of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, his first game of spring training. Although Milwaukee was the home team, about half the crowd of 6,619 cheered for the Giants and they countered the Brewers' fans standing ovation with catcalls when Braun went to the plate in the first inning and serenaded Braun with chants of "Ur-ine Sam-ple!" before Braun struck out swinging against Madison Bumgarner. His second time up, Braun was greeted with chants of "Cheater!" before looking at strike three.

Braun said he was glad the games are finally here.

"Yeah, it was great. I think for all of us as a team, you look forward to games starting. It's a little more adrenaline, little more excitement and enthusiasm. So, it was fun," he said.

Following Das' decision, Braun said he was a "victim" of a "fatally flawed" testing system and "the truth is on my side."

"Ryan said from his heart what needed to be said," Weiner said.

Weiner said the sides already have discussed changes to the drug program in the wake of Das' decision.

Cool story. I like this one, the one the MLB agrees with.

QUOTE

NEW YORK—

— The person who collected Ryan Braun's urine sample that tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone said he followed the collection program's protocol.

Dino Laurenzi Jr. issued a statement Tuesday confirming he handled the sample submitted following a playoff game on Oct. 1. He says he has been a collector for Comprehensive Drug Testing since 2005 and has taken more than 600 samples for Major League Baseball's drug-testing program.

"At no point did I tamper in any way with the samples," Laurenzi said.

Laurenzi's name emerged last week after the National League most valuable player's 50-game suspension was overturned, making Braun the first big leaguer to successfully challenge a drug-related penalty in a grievance.

Braun was not available for comment Tuesday at the Brewers' spring-training camp in Phoenix. Asked for reaction to Laurenzi's statement, Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart declined to comment.

Laurenzi said he stored Braun's sample in his basement in accordance with CDT's protocol because there was "no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday."

Braun, however, has said at least five FedEx locations within five miles were open until 9 p.m. and there also was a 24-hour location.

Laurenzi said the operating procedure is to "safeguard" the samples at home until FedEx can ship the sample to the lab.

"There have been other occasions when I have had to store samples in my home for at least one day, all without incident," he said.

Laurenzi added that he had "performed my job duties with integrity and professionalism, and have done so with respect to this matter and all other collections in which I have participated."

He said he issued the statement "to set the record straight."

In his statement, Laurenzi said he graduated from Wisconsin in 1983 and held master's degrees from North Carolina and Loyola of Chicago. He said he is now the full-time director of rehabilitation services at a healthcare facility.

Laurenzi said he was a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Assn., had worked as an athletic trainer and done volunteer work with Olympic athletes.

Laurenzi said he had collected samples for MLB in four different years and had done collections for other professional sports leagues.

Last week, Braun said he was the "victim" of a "fatally flawed" system.

"There are a lot of things that we heard about the collection process, the collector and some other people involved in the process that have been concerning to us," he said. "But as I've dealt with the situation, I know what it's like to be wrongly accused of something, so for me to wrongly accuse somebody wouldn't help."

MLB had no comment, and referred instead to its statement from last week:

"The extremely experienced collector in Mr. Braun's case acted in a professional and appropriate manner. He handled Mr. Braun's sample consistent with instructions issued by our jointly retained collection agency," it said.

--------------------

People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.

And also Batman Forever, outside of the steroid scandal, Braun was already largely considered a duche anyway. At least among other NL Central fans. Braun's always had a reputation of being a dick...a douche...arragant...and just a jack ass. The entire Brewers organization with their Beast Mode anthics just rub a lot of non-Brewer fans the wrong way anyway. Go to any Cubs, Reds or Cards forum and seach his name in threads. As far as Jones leaving his wife for a Hooters girl lol wow I have never heard that lol. Its better than cheating on his wife though...divorcing someome if you no longer love them is unfortunately the right thing to do. But I guess I need to know more of Jone's history if Im going to make him out to be such and awesome guy.

And Cactus I do have a hard time believing that the Mets organization are saying to themselves, "we are going to commemorate Chipper Jones because of how well he kicked our asses." Just seems like its more to it than that.

And also Batman Forever, outside of the steroid scandal, Braun was already largely considered a duche anyway. At least among other NL Central fans. Braun's always had a reputation of being a dick...a douche...arragant...and just a jack ass. The entire Brewers organization with their Beast Mode anthics just rub a lot of non-Brewer fans the wrong way anyway. Go to any Cubs, Reds or Cards forum and seach his name in threads. As far as Jones leaving his wife for a Hooters girl lol wow I have never heard that lol. Its better than cheating on his wife though...divorcing someome if you no longer love them is unfortunately the right thing to do. But I guess I need to know more of Jone's history if Im going to make him out to be such and awesome guy.

And Cactus I do have a hard time believing that the Mets organization are saying to themselves, "we are going to commemorate Chipper Jones because of how well he kicked our asses." Just seems like its more to it than that.

Braun is a hollywood guy, a very intelligent guy, a businessman outside of baseball. I know nothing of braun being disliked before this "scandal". Can you share some examples here - maybe I missed out?

And Cactus I do have a hard time believing that the Mets organization are saying to themselves, "we are going to commemorate Chipper Jones because of how well he kicked our asses." Just seems like its more to it than that.

then why a ceremony for chipper jones, yet not one for biggio just a few years prior? even closer, how about one for bobby cox?

nope, just one for the met-killer who insulted met fans.

--------------------

'-|-'- "Mr. Jeff Wilpon has decided that he’s going to learn how to run a baseball team and take over at the end of the year… Run for the hills, boys. I think probably all those baseball people will bail… Jeff sits there by himself like he’s King Tut waiting for his camel.” - Nelson Doubleday- "In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules." - Bernard Madoff, 10/20/07The Washington Post decided not to cover Ralph Nader's presidential campaign because he had no chance of winning. Nader's response: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?"- Asked by the Post about the younger Wilpon's job performance, Fred Wilpon said: "Excellent. Everybody knows ...that."- "The word 'autonomy' is sometimes misused." - Jeff Wilpon- "Let’s give Jeff Wilpon the benefit of the doubt here for a moment. Let’s say he is not short-tempered. Tone deaf. A credit seeker. An accountability deflector. A micro-manager. A second-guesser. A less-than-deep thinker. And bad at self-awareness. Fine, he’s none of these things. But here is the problem: This is his perception in the industry." - Joel Sherman- “Jeff is the problem with the organization, and he is never going to realize that. He cannot help himself. He has to be involved. He will never hire anyone who will not let him have major input. He will not hire anyone who does not run every personnel decision through him.” - Anonymous NL Executive- "The only person with a worse reputation than Jeff Wilpon in the game is David Samson." - Anonymous AL executive- "[Mets GM Omar Minaya] isn’t the General Manager. Jeff Wilpon is. Omar’s the one out there to take the heat.” - Peter Gammons- [Jeff Wilpon's] role in management, according to one official who worked for him, "is to act as president and CEO of second-guessing."- "I always want Mets fans on my juries," said one noted defense attorney friend, a rabid Yankees fan. "They love losers, even three-time losers like some of my clients. And if Mets fans believe anything the Mets front office says, I can convince them to acquit anybody." - Denis Hamill- I got a call the other day. They noted I had been a long term season ticket holder and asked if I was interested. I immediately exclaimed "I'm so sorry for the Wilpon Family". He asked what I meant. I told the guy if he looked in my file, he'd see a note to call me after both Fred and Jeff dropped dead, and not a day before. - Meanballer

When I am wrong I will openly admit it. Others here double down on it.

Thanks for manning up Truefan79. I commend you.

He was found not guilty on a technicality. The taker of the sample made a timing mistake. However the sample was not tampered with and the results were POSITIVE. Braun used steroids or something else. Plain and simple.

He was found not guilty on a technicality. The taker of the sample made a timing mistake. However the sample was not tampered with and the results were POSITIVE. Braun used steroids or something else. Plain and simple.

We know his confidentiality was breached. He was accused, and not proven guilty. In America that is called innocent of which he was presumed before the proceeding began. Both the head of the players association Weiner and the player Braun were resolute in Ryan Braun's innocence. And in the end he was not suspended and nothing was proven.

If baseball had proof, Braun would have been found guilty and suspended 50 games. If you can prove what MLB could not, please provide exactly what Braun took and what he is guilty of.

We know his confidentiality was breached. He was accused, and not proven guilty. In America that is called innocent of which he was presumed before the proceeding began. Both the head of the players association Weiner and the player Braun were resolute in Ryan Braun's innocence. And in the end he was not suspended and nothing was proven.

If baseball had proof, Braun would have been found guilty and suspended 50 games. If you can prove what MLB could not, please provide exactly what Braun took and what he is guilty of.

Do you know that a person can rob a bank and get away with it if the police violate his rights for an attorney. He goes free on a technicality but he did commit the crime. That's similar to what happened to Braun. The specimen he submitted was held too long even though it was positive. Baseball did have the proof but couldn't use it!

Do you know that a person can rob a bank and get away with it if the police violate his rights for an attorney. He goes free on a technicality but he did commit the crime. That's similar to what happened to Braun. The specimen he submitted was held too long even though it was positive. Baseball did have the proof but couldn't use it!

He had 25 clear tests, three this year. Why did the guy bring Braun's sample home and put it in his fridge?

He had 25 clear tests, three this year. Why did the guy bring Braun's sample home and put it in his fridge?

Braun and weiner spoke the unbiased truth.

Braun and Weiner did not speak the unbiased truth.Now we have two different opinions, yours and mine. We still do not have first hand facts. So will you concede that either of us could be correct. Or do you profess to be the only person who is always correct?

Braun and Weiner did not speak the unbiased truth.Now we have two different opinions, yours and mine. We still do not have first hand facts. So will you concede that either of us could be correct. Or do you profess to be the only person who is always correct?

I agree with you sir.

What we know is Braun was not found guilty and clearly articulated his innocence along with the head of the players association on his behalf.

We all are entitled to our opinions. When some here state opinion as fact, we both recognize as you so smartly stated it is just opinion. And your home run is the reality without first hand facts, we just do not know.

What we know is Braun was not found guilty and clearly articulated his innocence along with the head of the players association on his behalf.

We all are entitled to our opinions. When some here state opinion as fact, we both recognize as you so smartly stated it is just opinion. And your home run is the reality without first hand facts, we just do not know.

We know his confidentiality was breached. He was accused, and not proven guilty. In America that is called innocent of which he was presumed before the proceeding began. Both the head of the players association Weiner and the player Braun were resolute in Ryan Braun's innocence. And in the end he was not suspended and nothing was proven.

If baseball had proof, Braun would have been found guilty and suspended 50 games. If you can prove what MLB could not, please provide exactly what Braun took and what he is guilty of.